By Eileen Lehpamer
East Meadow, NY (NEWS 12/CNN) - A New York man is accused of stabbing his wife and setting her and their home on fire.
Loventino Cassadean, 49, was in court Tuesday.
"This was a shock, totally unexpected," said Anthony Ram, uncle of the victim.
Ram said he never would have believed that his niece's husband of two years could allegedly kill her and torch their Freeport home.
"He was very well spoken, very soft spoken so um, beneath the sheets we don't know what was going on," said Ram.
We learned that 49-year-old Loventino Cassadean allegedly stabbed Felicia Cassadean, his 22-year-old wife numerous times, and then set the couple's bed on fire.
Detective Lieutenant John Azzata said Cassadean then walked about 200 feet from his burning home before flagging down a Freeport police officer.
"He waves to the police officer, the police officer sees him waving and he stops," said Det. Lt. Azzatta.
As for the possible motive for murder? Loventino Cassadean was arrested back in April and court records show he's accused of a criminal sex act with a young girl.
Homicide detectives say an ongoing fight about that arrest may have led to this murder and arson. The couple was about to be kicked out of their home and Cassadean tried to fight the eviction by saying his wife was pregnant.
The couple's landlord came to Cassadean's arraignment in Hempstead but wouldn't say why.
As for Felicia, she was a mother of five and 2-year-old boys. Before her marriage to Loventino she was featured in an article on Catholic Charities and single mothers. At the time she said, "If it wasn't for them I don't know where my son and I would be."
Her uncle said she had come a long way.
"Energetic, very beautiful girl. Very ambitious. She was very independent, and she was having the best time of her life," said Ram.
Felicia's two boys were not home at the time of the fire.
They're now staying with relatives.
Cassadean was held without bail at his arraignment.
He's been charged with second-degree murder, but the charges could be upgraded.
NEWS 12/CNN